Experimental and Numerical Study of Stall Flutter in a Transonic Low-Aspect Ratio Fan Blisk

Abstract

Experiments are performed on a modern design transonic shroudless low-aspect ratio fan blisk that experienced both subsonic/transonic and supersonic stall-side flutter. High-response flush mounted miniature pressure transducers are utilized to measure the unsteady aerodynamic loading distribution in the tip region of the fan for both flutter regimes, with strain gages utilized to measure the vibratory response at incipient and deep flutter operating conditions. Numerical simulations are performed and compared with the benchmark data using an unsteady three-dimensional nonlinear viscous computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis, with the effects of tip clearance, vibration amplitude, and the number of time steps-per-cycle investigated. The benchmark data are used to guide the validation of the code and establish best practices that ensure accurate flutter predictions.